For 2017 the German publication Auto Zeitung have chosen to test ten summer tyres in 215/55 R17 using a VW Touran.

Like Auto Express, AZ buy their tyres on the open market, meaning the Continental Premium Contact 6 and the Bridgestone Turenza T001 Evo are sadly excluded from the test, and are instead represented by their predecessors. To further highlight the complexity of tyre testing, Hankook noted the version of the Ventus Prime 3 purchased for the test were an early manufacturer date and intended for OE fitment. The aftermarket fitment of the Ventus Prime 3 Hankook would have preferred to be tested would have had better wet performance.

The Top 3

It’s a return of form for the soon to be replaced Michelin Primacy 3, taking the top spot in test. While it couldn’t quite match the second placed Continental in the wet, it was close enough to mean the advantage in the dry and rolling resistance tests it had over the German tyre put it in top place.

Second place is still commendable for the Continental Premium Contact 5, given it was updated last year and the new tyre improves on it in nearly every way. Had the Premium Contact 6 been in the test, we’d likely be looking at a different result.

The top three was rounded out by not one, but two tyres. The Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance always scores well in tests, this time winning the key wet braking test AND having a very low rolling resistance, only slightly let down by the steering response and understeer in the dry. Equalling the Goodyears overall score in third is the Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue, which scored well in the dry, wet grip, and rolling resistance tests, but was let down by a poor aquaplaning result.

The Rest

Fifth place was awarded to the Nokian zLine. This tyre continues scoring well in the wet tests, but as its aged is let down by the rolling resistance, something we’re sure Nokian will fix in an update, whereas the sixth place Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 scored well in the rolling resistance test, but was nervous in the wet and weak in the dry.

Nothing new for Bridgestone in seventh place, a good all round tyre apart from the wet performance, which looks to have been fixed by the new EVO version of the tyre. Disappointing for Avon in eighth place with the brand new ZV7. The wet performance was good, but the rest of the tyre lacked a little compared to the best on test. Ninth goes to the Vredestein Ultrac Satin, with the Vredestein scoring well in rolling resistance, but like the Avon, lacked in other areas, in particular the dry with the longest dry braking, and last place was awarded to Falken with the ZE914 Ecorun thanks to long dry braking, and the longest wet braking in the test.